Paramedics Provide Emergency Care

As a paramedic, Jeff Groess delivered babies, tended heart attack sufferers and climbed into wrecked cars to care for accident victims. One New Year's Eve, he helped resuscitate two little girls rescued from a fire in North St. Paul.

"I loved being able to have an impact on people's lives," says Groess, now the operations supervisor for HealthEast Medical Transportation.

Every year, HealthEast Medical Transportation makes more than 30,000 runs in the metro area.

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics provide life support and critical care for the sick and injured in the northern half of Dakota County. HealthEast also provides scheduled transportation throughout the metro area for seriously ill people moving from the hospital to another facility, such as a nursing home.

A Job With Variety

During her years as a paramedic, Jodi Steele worked mostly in scheduled transport.

"I loved it. There was so much variety. No two days — and no two patients — were ever the same," says Steele, who now manages HealthEast's call center.

Once Steele rode with a woman who was being transported from hospice to home. She had spent much of her life raising horses and wanted to say goodbye to her favorite horse before she died. Steele arranged for the ambulance to stop by the pasture where the mare was grazing with her foal.

"The woman was so happy — it's something I'll never forget," Steele says.

Education And Career Ladders

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians registers emergency medical service providers at four levels: First Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic. EMT training programs are generally available at fire departments, community colleges and hospitals.

HealthEast Medical Transportation, for example, offers training for anyone interested in emergency medical services. A few community colleges now offer a two-year degree, which in some cases will transfer to a four-year bachelor's program.

Because the field is relatively new, the career ladder for paramedics is still limited. Some — like Groess and Steele — become supervisors or operations managers. Others become directors of emergency services.

Paramedic To RNMany community and technical colleges now offer "bridging programs" for paramedics who wish to complete an associate degree in nursing. Locally, the Inver Hills-Century Colleges Associate Degree Nursing Program recently created a special track for paramedics. To be admitted, students must be certified at the EMT-paramedic level by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians or hold equivalent state certification. Students must also have one year of full-time experience as a paramedic.

Occupational Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of EMTs and paramedics is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. The demand for paid, full-time EMTs will be greatest in large urban areas. Opportunities will be best for those with EMT- Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic certification.

In 2004, the median annual earnings of EMTs and paramedics were $25,310. Paramedics in the Twin Cities metro area earn more: about $16.50 an hour or $33,000 per year, according to Groess and Steele. Long-tenured paramedics can earn up to $50,000 annually.

Learn moreNational Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, www.naemt.org .